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Pick up the N7 once more at Garies via the off-the-map pinprick of Karas which is famous for its yellow catstails (Bulbinella Latifolia.) For the more adventurous, 4x4 routes wend their way through this succulent-studded African Arizona. 67 kilometres south of Springbok, scenic Kamieskroon is the town that couldn't settle down. When the early settlement outgrew the narrow ravine in which it had first made its home, the village moved, lock and livestock, to a more expansive site. Front-runner for the title of 'Most Attractive Town in Namaqualand,' Kamieskroon is surrounded by craggy peaks unlike the flat monotony of much of the landscape bordering the N7. Accordingly, photographic workshops are one of the attractions during the flower season as is the Kamieskroon hiking trail among the rock formations and wildflowers of the Kamiesberg range. The nearby 1000 hectare Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, now part of a newly designated National Park west of Kamiekroon, is another draw-card. If all else fails, Skilpad will be sure to delight as the ground soaks up what little moisture comes in off the sea and in turn exudes dazzling blooms. Should you find yourself tickled by that back-roads itch, travelling south from Springbok to Kamieskroon, take the Hondeklipbaai turn-off for a 104 kilometre gravel-road detour to the coast. Drive via the Messelpad Pass and Wildeperdehoek Pass to Soebatsfontein, a small village at the bottom of the escarpment that owes its existence in these parched climes to the local spring. And thence to the popular holiday spot of Hondeklip Bay which entertains fishing and diamond mining boats as well as local fishing fans. Head inland once more, either south to Garies or circuitously to Kamieskroon to rejoin the N7. Alternatively, extend the off-road diversion south to the beaches of Groenriviermond where big red elandsvygies grow almost into the sea. For those who are more back-road buffs than back-seat botanists, the 642 kilometre Namakwa 4x4 route which tracks the Orange River down to the sea, is the last word in Camel Man adventure. An equally audacious expedition is the Richtersveld National Park in the north-west corner of Namaqualand where the country's biggest mountain desert reserve juts into Namibia. | 
